I'm not a big fan of "the people will panic..." films, so prevalent in the 50's. This film conveys a similar message, but manages to do so in a wonderfully understated manner. We see the British going on with life despite the undercurrent of menace. People going to work, dining, drinking, an unintentional precursor of New York after 9/11.
A counterpoint to the plot, and in many ways the strongest element of the film, we have these extraordinary images of London, still laden with the ruins of the "Blitz"...bricks, rubble, vacant lots.
An earlier comment spoke of the professor's moral dilemma. He is reproached for his willingness to let millions of average citizens pay the price for his conscience. Certainly, other, less fanatical means were available. Ultimately, we see him less as an ethicist but more of a quiet man of genius driven to madness. It is clear, from his actions, that to him, the lives of others are a mere abstraction.
Of special note to me, are the glimpses of soldiers sent on a life-or-death mission, acting not as robots, but as very fallible men, taking a drink, a cigarette or skipping a flat. In essence, human.
Most striking of all are the views of a deserted London. Eerie, silent, devoid of humans, but chilling. This is a memorable film for its cinematography, its slices of life, and mostly because it cares about people.
A counterpoint to the plot, and in many ways the strongest element of the film, we have these extraordinary images of London, still laden with the ruins of the "Blitz"...bricks, rubble, vacant lots.
An earlier comment spoke of the professor's moral dilemma. He is reproached for his willingness to let millions of average citizens pay the price for his conscience. Certainly, other, less fanatical means were available. Ultimately, we see him less as an ethicist but more of a quiet man of genius driven to madness. It is clear, from his actions, that to him, the lives of others are a mere abstraction.
Of special note to me, are the glimpses of soldiers sent on a life-or-death mission, acting not as robots, but as very fallible men, taking a drink, a cigarette or skipping a flat. In essence, human.
Most striking of all are the views of a deserted London. Eerie, silent, devoid of humans, but chilling. This is a memorable film for its cinematography, its slices of life, and mostly because it cares about people.